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Board weighs draft wind-turbine ordinance, plans legal review and tailored limits
Summary
The planning board reviewed examples of municipal wind-turbine ordinances and agreed to adapt a mid-length model, focus on larger commercial turbines visible from miles away, and seek legal review before forwarding a draft to the selectmen.
The Green Planning Board discussed a potential local wind-turbine ordinance on June 16, reviewing example ordinances from other towns and agreeing to pursue a version that balances coverage with readability. Members said several residential wind-energy systems already exist locally — staff pointed to units at Nowell’s Auto Body and sites on River Road — but the board’s principal interest is regulating larger turbines on multi-acre parcels that are visible and audible at a distance.
Members cited sample ordinances ranging from short (a few pages) to very detailed (40–50 pages). One board member favored a mid-length ordinance used by Penobscot as a template and recommended minor adjustments followed by legal review and selectmen consideration. The board asked staff to research current residential turbine capacities and confirm typical residential-generation sizes to avoid adopting limits based on outdated specifications (a cited 2011 reference may not reflect newer equipment).
Board members noted that large commercial turbines (examples discussed in nearby towns) raise concerns about noise and visual impacts, while residential models generally fit within existing local height limits. Staff will gather updated technical specifications, prepare a draft ordinance based on the chosen template and send it for legal review before returning it to the selectmen for deliberation.
